


Where We Began

by Skylar0Grace



Series: Fractured Hearts Trilogy [1]
Category: Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Supernatural
Genre: F/M, Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2010-02-08
Updated: 2010-02-08
Packaged: 2017-12-04 18:20:46
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 8
Words: 14,818
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/713639
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Skylar0Grace/pseuds/Skylar0Grace
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>The greatest challenge of their lives is about to begin.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Prologue

**Author's Note:**

> Set after ‘Chosen’ of Buffy the Vampire Slayer and during Season Three of Supernatural.

* * *

  


_If you prick us, do we not bleed? If you tickle us, do we not laugh? If you poison us, do we not die? And if you wrong us, shall we not revenge? – William Shakespeare_

  


  
A figure moved with relative ease around the dark room gathering a few small items before stopping in the centre. A match was struck, a small flame appeared amongst the darkness and as the candle was lit, the table and the pot sitting on it were illuminated.

His greying hair and lined skin belied his age but his grey eyes held the secrets of many years in a fallen world, years of death and destruction. His long, slender fingers picked up a red vial and as he added a few drops of blood from it, he watched curiously, impatiently, as the red swirled with the smoky green. A small wisp of smoke drew upwards from the surface and he wasted no time in dropping both of his hands inside. He ignored the burning of his skin as he spoke in a raspy voice.

“The centre is dark. Centrum est obscurus. The darkness breathes. Tenebrae respiratis. The listener hears. Hear me!”

Smoke poured silently out of the pot and in the corner of the room, shrouded in darkness, a creature cowered.  
“Your servant stands before you. Give me what I seek. Take of mine energy and restore me.”  
A light spilled from the pot as though a torch had been lit inside and he gasped, pulling his hands from the pot and steadying himself on the table. He slowly looked up and an ugly grin covered his face. He peered into the pot and a watery image appeared.

He watched silently as four young girls set up a tent. They laughed as a pole protruded from a point it wasn’t meant to and pulled the structure down. One girl picked up a piece of paper and directed two others as the fourth turned, her face now visible and a frown etched upon it. Her eyes darted around the trees in front of her and even though she turned back to the others, he noticed the tightness in her muscles as though she perceived the danger they were in. He turned to the creature in the corner with cold eyes.

“Go, bring me back her body. The others are irrelevant but I want her. Do NOT fail me.”

The creature moved swiftly from the room and he turned back to the pot, a new image swirling. A blonde with sparkling green eyes was smiling softly at a redhead. He saw the ease in her eyes and his hardened.

“It won’t be long now. I promise.”


	2. Chapter 2

* * *

_It's not the size of the dog in the fight, it's the size of the fight in the dog – Mark Twain_

“But don't count on me givin' it, all back to you,” Dean Winchester sang, tapping his fingers on the steering wheel. “Just because I'm hooked on livin’, doesn't mean I'm hooked on you.”

As the sounds of AC/DC carried through the car, Dean noticed the sign by the side of the road. “Wake up Sammy, we’re almost there.”

Rubbing his eyes and sitting straighter, Sam Winchester asked, “What time is it?”

“About 8,” was his brother’s reply, “We’ll be there in about 30 minutes. But I want to go over it again once more. I don’t want to be stuck here all day.”

Sam rummaged around the backseat until his hand rested on something familiar and he pulled it back revealing his laptop. As it was starting up, he turned down the stereo and took in his surroundings.

“Alright,” Sam began, opening bookmarked web pages, “Last week four girls, camping in the nearby woods, were attacked. One girl, Louise Adams, managed to get back to town and raise the alarm. But by the time they got out there, there was no sign of the other three girls, just a lot of blood on the ground and shredded tents, etc. Locals have put it down to a grizzly attack. But the girl, Louise, insists it was not a bear, though she never said what she thought it was. I can’t tell you much more. Ellen still has her ear to the ground, but since we were nearby…”

“What do you think it was?”

“I have no idea. It could be a spirit, demon, could be anything. I thought we could check out the scene first and then maybe go and see this girl, Louise. If it is nothing, we can keep going but if not, we can find a place and check this out.”

Dean yawned and Sam looked at him concerned. “Do you wanna find somewhere first and maybe get some sleep? You’ve been driving most of the night.” Dean just shook his head.

“Nope. I’ll be fine. Let’s just check it out first. Do you have the directions?” Sam pulled up the map that had been beside his seat.

“Yeah, here you go.” Sam shook his head and returned his attention to the laptop.

* * *

 

As the Impala pulled into the camping grounds, Sam put his laptop on the backseat. Both men got out of the car and immediately went to the boot, opening it to reveal their usual stash of weaponry. Sam pulled out his backpack, placing a knife and holy water inside, while Dean stood beside him, loading a rifle with rock salt. Once they were both equipped they headed for the walking track. Sam led with the EMF reader as he followed a well trodden dirt path. After a few minutes of walking through the woods, Dean spotted the remains of the camp site and motioned to Sam, who followed. Sam walked around the camp but looked quizzically at Dean.

“There’re no readings,” he stated and Dean knelt down by a tent, examining the shreds of what was left.

“I don’t think this was done by claws. The tears are singular. But it is too jagged to have been done by a knife.”

Sam looked down at the dark stains all around him. “There is a LOT of blood here.”

“Wendigo?” Dean asked, looking up at him.

Sam shook his head. “I don’t know.” He looked closer at a pool of blood that had seeped into the soil, causing an ugly dark patch on the ground. “And it looks as though they were dragged off,” he said, pointing to some drag lines in the dirt.

Dean stood and they started following the lines into the scrub. Suddenly a scream broke the silence. They paused for a second before they broke into a run. Branches scraped their faces and twigs hit their legs as they ran. Stopping near a tree, they listened intently, trying to hear another sound out of place. Sam started creeping forward when off in the distance to his left, he saw a movement. Signalling to Dean, they headed off in that direction. The dark figure became more noticeable the closer they got. As they drew near, Dean shouted.

“Hey!”

The thing turned around. Standing at over 2 metres tall, the green demon looked toward them. Dropping the lifeless body of the girl it was dragging, it advanced angrily.

“Whoa,” yelled Dean, backing up slowly. “Ah, Sammy, what is that?”

Sam looked stunned. “I don’t know,” he replied, “I’ve never seen anything like it.”

In a moment the demon was upon them. Sam and Dean both fired their weapons, but the rock salt did nothing but make it angrier. It flung its arm out and sent Sam careening into a tree.

“Sam!” yelled Dean. Sam opened his eyes, pain exploding and vision swirling as he tried to focus on something, anything.

“Sam!” yelled Dean again, as the demon advanced on him.

His eyes widened as bone skewers instantaneously protruded from its arms. Dean backed away, shooting again, but he knew his rounds were useless. He flung his gun down, now useless, and got ready to fight. The demon thrust forward its arm, missing Dean’s body by centimetres but slicing through his favourite shirt.  
All of a sudden, the demon was flung to the side. Dean turned, expecting to see Sam, but only saw a small woman go running past, her blonde ponytail bobbing up and down as she fought it, taking care to avoid the skewers. As she broke a skewer off, the demon howled in pain and Dean saw Sam struggling to stand. He ran over to him and helped him stand.

“That was one hell of a hit,” Dean observed.

“I feel like I’ve been run over.” His vision was clear now but a throbbing pain still pierced his head from its connection to the tree and he was having trouble shaking it.

“Are you okay?” Dean asked.

Sam nodded and Dean left his side to aid the woman still fighting. As he closed in on their position, he saw the woman get pushed into a tree. In a second, she had flipped herself over the demon and landed a kick in its back. Drawing out a very long and sharp looking sword she took one swing and its head rolled off its body as the body crumpled to the ground.

She spun around, not even out of breath, and ran towards the body of the girl, lying between two trees. Dean stood shocked. This woman was short and slender but fought with amazing strength. She put her fingers to the girl’s neck and her own head dropped as she sighed. Angrily, she whirled around.

“Who the hell sent you?” she asked. Not even waiting for a response, she pulled out her mobile phone and started dialling. Dean felt Sam approach behind him.

“Nobody sent us,” Sam answered. Buffy Summers raised an eyebrow as the call was answered.

“I was too late,” she said, eyeing the two men suspiciously. Dressed as they were, it was obvious they were not Watchers. She saw the gun Sam held in his hand and rolled her eyes. “She’s dead.” She paused. “No, it was a Polgara. It’s dead too, though it shouldn’t have even been here.” She looked once again toward the two men standing before her. Addressing them she asked, “Did you drive here?”

Dean appeared cautious. “Yes.”

“I’ll be at the safe house in fifteen minutes. I’ll come back tonight and do a sweep just to make sure there aren’t any more,” she told the person on the other end and hung up.

“What are you doing here?” she asked the men in front of her. Sam moved forward. As he opened his mouth, an explanation on the tip of his tongue he heard a response from behind him.

“We could ask you the same thing,” Dean said. Buffy rolled her eyes.

“You could have gotten yourselves killed.”

Sensing the hostility raging from behind him, Sam decided to intervene. “Who are you?” he asked.

They both watched as she easily picked up the young girl in her arms and started to move forward. Dean raised his eyebrow at her display of strength but she didn’t notice. Buffy began walking and she called out as she passed them.

“I guess we both have some explaining. I’ll need you to drop me off.”

“We’re not taking you anywhere,” Dean said angrily. Buffy spun on her heels and anger flashed in her eyes. The small amount of sunlight filtering through the trees bounced off of her hair and seemed to make her skin glow softly.

“I just saved your butts from being killed. For all I know, you could be the death of her,” she said, motioning toward the body in her arms. “Now, I can walk back with a body in my arms easily enough but I’d rather be a little less noticeable.” Sam stepped past Dean.

“Where do you need to go?” Sam asked trying to make amends but it only seemed to make Dean angrier and he whispered loudly at Sam through gritted teeth.

“I am not taking her anywhere in my car. Did you see the way she fought? For all we know, she could be a demon or something.” Sam turned toward Dean.

“If she wanted to kill us, she probably would have done so already. We can’t let her walk through town with a body in her arms.” Dean’s nostrils flared as he stood his ground, arms crossed across his chest. Buffy sighed.

“Look, I don’t need your help.” She turned around and started walking away, nimbly stepping over the forest debris. Sam looked at Dean.

“You stubborn ass, she could help us!” Sam said.

“She could kill us, Sam,” Dean retorted. Sam’s eyes looked into Dean’s pleadingly and Dean sighed. “Fine, whatever.”

Sam ran after Buffy as Dean turned and picked up his rifle. He had weaponry in the car and if she turned out to be a threat to either him or Sam, he’d shoot her; even if she was hot. Shaking his head at Sam’s retreating back, he followed.


	3. Chapter 3

* * *

_Knowing me, knowing you - ABBA_

  
Dean pulled up in front of an inconspicuous house. As he parked the car, he glanced at the figure in the back. She had sat in the backseat, with the girl’s body across her lap and was staring sadly at her. When she realised they had arrived, her eyes snapped forward and when she noticed Dean looking at her in the mirror, she turned to pick up the girl beside her.   
  
Buffy carried the girl up the driveway and tapped the door with her toe. It was immediately answered by a man in a tweed coat who ushered her inside. Seeing the two men behind her, he turned surprised as she simply said, “It’s okay” and walked inside laying the body on the linoleum floor. Blood still caked the deep wound to the girls’ stomach and Buffy sighed as she walked over to the kitchen sink and washed her arms. She cringed when she saw the tear in her own shirt.  
  
Dean and Sam walked up to the kitchen table, avoiding the body on the floor. Another man appeared from the corridor and both unknown men picked up the body and carried her into one of the rooms. Sam saw the defeated look cross Buffy’s face and felt sorry for her.  
  
“Look. We don’t know who you are, but we’re hunters. I’m Sam and this is my brother Dean,” he said, pointing to his scowling brother next to him.   
  
Buffy looked up, surprised. “I’m Buffy,” she began, “I’m a Slayer. I assume you were after the Polgara?”  
  
“Slayer?” Dean gruffly asked. “Like the band?” Buffy rolled her eyes and sighed at the response. It wasn’t the one she usually heard but she had heard it, especially from the older hunters.  
  
“Yes, I’m in a band. I was out playing guitar in the woods when…”  
  
“I thought Slayers were a myth,” Sam cut in.  
  
“Well, you thought wrong,” she refuted.   
  
“Sam?” Sam pulled his gaze away from the woman before them and faced his enquiring brother.  
  
“Dad made a small reference to Slayers in his journal. One girl called to fight the forces of evil, usually vampires, with supernatural skill and strength. When one dies, another is called. He thought they were a myth.” Sam turned to Buffy who was staring at her destroyed top. “So you’re the Slayer?”  
  
“No,” Buffy responded, walking toward and sitting down at the table. Sam and Dean followed suit. “Not the only one. A couple of years ago, we turned the tide on an apocalypse that had started. A very powerful witch I know made all potential slayers, Slayers. We managed to avert the apocalypse but destroyed Sunnydale in the process. There is nothing there now but a big ol’ hole.” She had a small smile on her face as she thought about The First’s defeat.  
  
“You did that?” Dean asked, clearly shocked.  
  
“Unfortunately. But it closed the hellmouth so it worked out for the best. However, we had to then find all these girls and train them. That’s what she was,” Buffy explained, pointing to the back of the house. “There is another hellmouth in Cleveland so we started a private school and train the girls there until they are ready.”  
  
The two men appeared from the back of the house and the older one stepped forward and addressed Buffy, ignoring the two brothers as though they weren’t there. “We called Mr Giles and he asked us to return to Cleveland with her body. He also asked that you call him.”  
  
“Fine,” Buffy replied, as she pulled out her mobile. “I’ll see you back in Cleveland.”  
  
She waved as they exited the back of the house and an engine was heard starting up. Buffy dialled the number she knew by heart and placed the phone in the centre of the table. Dean turned to Sam as he heard the ringing. Obviously, she had put the call on speaker. Sam shrugged.  
  
“Buffy?” the voice asked.  
  
“Hey, Giles,” she answered. “Sorry I didn’t get to her in time.”   
  
Both men saw the guilt she held onto for the loss of one of her Slayers. Dean didn’t know if she was wearing it openly or if she didn’t know how to mask the pain. The woman opposite him had strength and power but she also had the same fundamental human flaws. The pain didn’t mar her beauty though and if anything, made her humanity stand out.  
  
“It’s okay,” Giles responded soothingly, “What happened?”  
  
“She was dead when I got there. By the way, I picked up two hunters. Their names are Dean and Sam.”  
  
“Dean and Sam Winchester?” Giles asked. Buffy looked up as Sam nodded. “Yeah.” Buffy responded, “Do you know them?”  
  
“No, but they’re a family of hunters. Two sons of John. They closed a hellmouth recently.”  
  
Buffy raised her eyebrows and looked at the two men seated before her. She was surprised. They must be stronger than she gave them credit for. She had never met another hunter that had closed a hellmouth before; didn’t know if any had ever done so.  
  
Dean shifted nervously in his seat. He wasn’t comfortable being known by someone whom he didn’t know himself. It was dangerous if their information fell into the wrong hands. “How do you know about us?”   
  
If Giles was surprised to hear someone else, his voice didn’t betray him. “It’s what I do,” he replied.   
  
Suddenly Buffy sat up straight. Understanding spread over her face as did a small smile. “Is that what Willow had us prepped for a few months ago?”  
  
“Yes,” Giles replied, “We knew if they didn’t get it closed you would need to be ready. As it is, you are still dealing with the fall out from it being opened as long as it was.”  
  
“Hey,” Dean interjected a little angrily, “We closed it as quickly as we could.”  
  
“If we thought you weren’t capable, Buffy and Faith would have been sent in.” Giles turned his attention back to his Slayer and the matter at hand. “You shouldn’t have seen a Polgara out there Buffy. Willow is getting a strange reading from there, so there could be more in the area. Patrol again tonight but please be careful.”  
  
“I’ll be fine,” Buffy reassured, rolling her eyes, “I’ll call you back tomorrow morning with a report.” There was a click and Buffy closed her phone.  
  
“Who is Faith?” Sam asked.   
  
Buffy gave him a curious glance but decided that giving them the information couldn’t harm. She hadn’t had a lot of contact with hunters but they seemed to mostly disregard her. The younger ones thought their youth made them better than they were. The older ones knew they were good because they’d managed to stay alive. Both groups thought they were better than the Slayer. But Sam seemed genuinely interested and even a little in awe. That was new.  
  
“She’s the other original Slayer. When I died, she was called. She’s overseas now, trying to round up girls in Europe.”  
  
“You died?” Dean asked. He was quite surprised. Staying alive in the game of hunting took skill and he’d never known of anyone brought back from the dead. Well, at least not as themselves anyway. To actually accomplish it was, well, a feat in itself. That took a whole new skill. If this woman had actually managed to defy death then she was definitely someone important. From the look on Sam’s face, he clearly thought so too.  
  
“Long story,” Buffy replied, offering nothing else.   
  
Sam felt like he’d run into a brick wall. Like she’d dangled the key to the fountain of youth in his face and then snatched it back before he could touch it. He watched as she stood up and walked into the kitchen.   
  
Buffy pulled a plate of sandwiches from the fridge and offered them to Dean and Sam, taking one off the top for herself. Buffy didn’t know the men sitting in the dining room, nor did she want company after the crappy day she’d had. But if they were as good as Giles made them out to be, then she needed to offer them protection. Keep them alive one more day.  
  
“Where are you staying?”  
  
“Probably a motel in town,” Sam responded as both he and Dean took a sandwich from the pile.  
  
“You should stay here,” Buffy replied. “This is a safe house and there is a protection spell over it. They only last a few days but it is enough for when we have the new girls here. It should keep you safe while I check out the area.”  
  
The response Buffy got was not what she was expecting. To be honest, she’d thought it would be something along the lines of overwhelming gratitude. Maybe not from Dean. He seemed to have an issue with her, as though they’d had a big fight that she wasn’t a part of. But Sam seemed the overwhelming gratitude type. She suspected patrolling for him was something he did because it was in the family. There was no doubt he was hardened, no one escaped without scars but he didn’t treat it like Dean did. She thought for him it was something he did reluctantly but if given a choice, he couldn’t walk away. He seemed almost as trapped as her. Maybe that’s why they butted heads.  
  
“We don’t need to be babysat. We can take care of ourselves,” Dean said and Buffy was taken aback.  
  
“We’ll come with you to check it out. There is safety in numbers,” Sam said, hoping to diffuse any potential argument.  
  
Buffy shrugged. She’d given in. “Suit yourselves,” she responded. “But you’ll need to be better equipped if you’re coming. Your guns are pretty useless.”   
  
Dean growled as Buffy walked over to a cupboard in the corner and opened the doors. Inside was an expanse of weapons. Both men sat there stunned. As Dean got up to look at all the weapons in more detail, Sam turned to Buffy.  
  
“What exactly is a Polgara? We’ve never seen one before. Most of the demons we see are possessing people.”   
  
To say Buffy was surprised was an understatement. She mostly dealt with the fleshier demons but she knew others existed. She didn’t know how someone could get the status they seemed to have gotten without coming across demons.  
  
“Polgara’s are part reptilian. They’re very strong but not very bright. That’s why it is weird to see one here. They shouldn’t be in this area. They need to feed every two hours or so but they don’t usually migrate so far. And there have been no killings anywhere near here. It’s like it just appeared here.”  
  
Buffy did a ‘poof’ motion with her hands and saw Dean smirk at her. There was something about the ‘better-than-you’ smirk that made Buffy want to wipe it off. And not in a friendly way.  
  
“What about the campers?” Sam asked. “One of the girls got away. If we talk to her we can find out if this Polgara demon is responsible for the attack.” Buffy was shaking her head.   
  
“Louise was the one that got away but she was the girl whose body I brought back. She told the investigators that it was a monster. She described the Polgara which is why we were alerted. Willow figured out she was the Slayer we were looking for, so I came down to get her. Just a little too late.”  
  
“What about the skewers coming out of its arms?” Dean asked, turning his attention away from the cupboard.  
  
“Bone skewers,” Buffy replied, nodding. “Can be deadly if you don’t stay clear of them. Look, I need a shower and something else to eat before I patrol. If you wanna sleep here, that’s fine. You can use any of the rooms and there is an ensuite in each of them. I’m gonna head out for lunch soon. If you want to join me, fine, but if not, there is food in the fridge. Help yourself.” With that she turned and walked down the long corridor.  
  


* * *

Dean sat down next to Sam. “Wow, a real Slayer!” Sam said. “You know, she might be able to help us with this deal, Dean. She seems to have some pretty deep connections.”  
  
“No.” Dean stopped him in his tracks, holding up his hand. “We’ve known her for a couple of hours. We don’t know anything about her.”  
  
“Dean, she’s a Slayer. She fights on our side. They have protected safe houses and a school set up for the girls. They have the money and obviously the means. It can’t hurt to at least ask.”  
  
“No!” Dean said more forcefully. “Look, we hunt these Polgaras. See if there are any more in the woods. If not, then we move on.”  
  
“But Dean…” Sam tried again.  
  
“I said ‘No’ Sammy. Now leave it alone.”   
  
Sam just stared at his hands confused. Why wouldn’t Dean get help from people who could so easily help? They may just have information but they may also be able to get him out of the deal.   
  
“Fine, but I’m going out to lunch with her. You can come and get more information or you can sit here and sulk.” He got up and walked to the cupboard to check out the weapons.  
  


* * *

Buffy sighed as she opened the bag on her bed. Another shirt ruined. She had been so busy with the girls she hadn’t had time for shopping. She thought when Giles had turned up a few months ago she would get the time to do the girly stuff she had been neglecting but he was just there because of the impending doom.   
  
She sat on the end of the bed. When she got back to Cleveland, Giles would be leaving again for England. She realised she hadn’t spoken to Dawn in three weeks and wondered where she was; last she heard she had been in Egypt tracking down girls there.  
  
Buffy took out a fresh set of clothes and walked to the shower. Once in the shower, she let the hot water soothe her muscles. She didn’t really want to patrol with two people she hardly knew, especially with one who didn’t like her, but if Will said there was something wrong here, she would have to find out what. Maybe she would get to know more about them over lunch and ease her mind a little. If they closed a hellmouth then they might not be a liability to her but she didn’t want to walk into a situation not knowing if they would have her back.  
  


* * *

Buffy dressed and as she walked out to the lounge room, she could sense that the two brothers had been arguing. They were standing on opposite sides of the lounge room waiting and Sam was glaring daggers in Dean’s direction. She took her car keys off the hook but Dean stopped her.  
  
“We’ll take my car,” he said brusquely.   
  
He then walked out the front door and Sam offered an apologetic smile as he too walked past her. Buffy sucked in a deep breath and followed them out.


	4. Chapter 4

* * *

_Perhaps our eyes need to be washed by our tears once in a while, so that we can see life with a clearer view again – Alex Tan_

  
Dean had driven them to a nearby diner that seemed to be stuck in the 50’s. Buffy led both men to a black and white polka dot booth and sat with her back to the wall. From her vantage point, she could clearly see the entire diner. The three sat there waiting for their food to arrive.

“So,” Buffy began, “Do you guys have girlfriends?”

Dean raised his eyebrows and looked straight at her. “Why, you offering?”

Sam smiled. Dean might still be angry but he seemed to be cooling off. Buffy just rolled her eyes.

“I just wanted to know if you had anyone else but each other.”

“Our dad died a little while ago,” Sam said, “so there’s just the two of us.”

“Speaking of died,” Dean spoke up, changing the subject from their dad, “How did you die? You’re looking pretty good for a corpse.”

Buffy smiled as she took a sip out of her coke. “Which time?”

Dean sat there stunned. There was a brief silence and Sam spoke, though it came out as an almost whisper. He was beginning to think that despite Dean’s protests he might ask Buffy for her help. Obviously she had cheated death more than once and he only needed the one shot to save Dean.

“How many times have you died?” he asked quietly.

“Three,” she replied, shrugging. “The first time, I drowned, the last time I was shot.”

The waitress came over with their orders and placed the three plates filled with food in front of them, making sure to throw a seductive smile in Dean’s direction; an action both Sam and Buffy ignored.

“Look, I say we finish lunch and head out early. We could wait for nightfall, but I really don’t think there will be anyone disturbing us in the woods.”

The brothers nodded in agreement. “What do you think the Polgara was doing here anyway?” Sam asked.

“No idea. It should have left a trail from wherever it was that it came from but there was nothing. Giles is looking into it as we speak. I have no idea why Louise went back there though. And as far as we know there haven’t been any other deaths or missing people. I can’t explain it.”

Dean thought for a moment. “Could it have been sent after those girls on purpose?” he asked, taking a bite out of the burger he was eating.

Buffy shook her head. “I don’t think so. But if it was being manipulated, then that is some pretty powerful magic. Whoever was controlling it had to have also kept it under the radar.”

“I think we should look for any caves nearby,” Dean said. “It had to sleep somewhere.”  
Buffy nodded and silence covered the table as they ate.

* * *

An hour later, they were standing outside of a cave. “Looks like it goes pretty deep underground,” Sam stated. “It looks man made, so it may have been used for mining or something.”

They stepped inside and allowed their eyes to adjust to the light. In front of them stood three tunnels, the centre one wide, allowing what would have been carts down it once. The two smaller on the side looked like access tunnels for workers.

“Of course there’s three,” said Buffy sighing. “Alright, I’ll take the centre one; you guys take one each on the sides. We’ll walk down and see what we can find. If you see anything that National Geographic hasn’t covered, leave it and we’ll all go down together. No heroes.”

“Sounds fair,” Sam replied and they all set off, the beams from their torches creating illuminating arcs in the darkness.

* * *

Dean had walked about fifty metres into his tunnel when he suddenly realised that it ended abruptly. “Damn it!”

He was cursing his bad luck when he saw that his tunnel actually opened up into another tunnel. Dean was trying to decide whether to venture further down into the caves or not when he heard a noise. He slowly turned his torch off and moved stealthily around the corner, hearing a crunching noise coming from the other tunnel. He strained to hear but whatever had previously made the noise had stopped as well. As he peered around the corner, he could see nothing but darkness. Unsure, he stepped into the consuming dark.

* * *

Down in her tunnel, Buffy’s senses went on alert. She wasn’t sure what it was. Wishing she had brought a torch with her, she relied on her better than average night vision all the more. She stopped and listened. Something had definitely moved up ahead. She pushed herself against the wall and waited. Only mere seconds later, a shape moved in front of her slowly. She waited until it was right in front and kicked high. Buffy felt her black boot connect with the things chest and it went flying into the opposite wall, followed by an ‘oomph’. Buffy paused.

“Hello?” she tentatively called out.

“Ow!!!” was the response, “Damn you can kick hard!”

“Dean?”

Dean sat up, rubbing his chest. “I think you broke a rib,” he said, feeling the pain spread across his chest. He felt a hand on his bicep.

“Sorry, do you need me to help you up?”

Dean could feel her breath lightly on his face, her soft hand on his arm.

“Dean?” Buffy said nervously, when he didn’t respond. She hadn’t meant to kick him so hard and she was actually worried she’d knocked him unconscious. Her other hand came up and touched his cheek.

“I’m okay,” he said quickly, moving away from her and trying to force his heart to stop beating so quickly.  
Buffy stood up. She could only just make out his outline and even though he couldn’t see it, she frowned at him.

“How did you end up here?”

“My tunnel joined up with this one. I guess they all would have to, eventually.”

“Well, do you want to finish the rest of my tunnel with me or do you want to head back?” Buffy asked. Dean gathered up what was left of his pride. “No, its okay. I’ll finish the tunnel.”

They started walking into the inky blackness and Dean tried to think of something to break up the suffocating awkwardness he was feeling.

“I’ll assume Sam’s tunnel hasn’t joined up yet.”

“Not yet. I haven’t seen any openings except the one you came out of. But it must run parallel so it should join sooner or later.”

They walked along in silence. Dean was still shaken up by her touch. ‘It shouldn’t have affected me like that,’ he thought. His skin on his arm still had goosebumps from where her hand had rested, his cheek still felt warm. Buffy, on the other hand, was feeling guilty. ‘I didn’t know it was him,’ she rationalised. ‘I couldn’t have known it was him.’ But still she felt an unusual niggle knowing that she had caused him pain.

“What happened the second time?” he asked.

For a moment Buffy had no idea what he was talking about. Had he been speaking to her and she hadn’t heard him?

“When you died, I mean,” he clarified, his torch sweeping the tunnel ahead.

“Oh, um, I was fighting a hell god. She opened a portal with my little sister, Dawn’s, blood. But it was only her blood that could close it. We have the same blood you know; Summers’ blood. I couldn’t let her sacrifice herself. So I jumped instead.”

Dean was nodding beside her, knowing exactly the pain she had felt. The raw emotions that even now would surface.

“Sam died a few months ago.” Buffy turned to look at him but he continued unaware of her action. “A guy stabbed him but I couldn’t let him go; I couldn’t do this on my own. So I found a crossroads demon. Made a deal. His life for mine.”

Had he been able to see her face, Dean would have seen the shock all over it.

“I was given a year. So I have to protect him the best I can, you know? Teach him what I know. Prepare him for when…” he trailed off and Buffy’s heart once again ached.

Dean had no idea why he had just told her what he had but reasoned that it was because they’d shared a similar experience: she had sacrificed her life for her sister’s.

Buffy stopped walking. When Dean realised she was no longer beside him he turned to face her questioningly. His torch shone on the ground at her feet and a soft arc of light illuminated her face. She wore a pensive look as she looked him square in the eyes.

“I could ask the council for help. I’m sure they will know something about this demon; how to get you out of the deal.”

Dean stepped forward quickly. “No!” he said, shaking his head madly from side to side. “You can’t. I can’t.”

The last two words came out almost as a whisper. Buffy was confused. Why wouldn’t he let her help? Then he spoke, his voice a little louder than a whisper.

“I can’t get out of it. If I try and get out of the deal, she’ll take Sam.”

Comprehension hit Buffy like a ton of bricks. When she died for her sister, she didn’t have time to think about it, she’d made that decision and it was done. But Dean had to live with it now. Live. Live to die.

Without even thinking about it, Buffy wrapped her arms around Dean. She felt his body stiffen at the contact and then relax as he hugged her back. She felt a drop down on her shoulder, just a solitary tear but she knew that it had been a long time coming.


	5. Chapter 5

* * *

_Destiny is no matter of chance. It is a matter of choice: It is not a thing to be waited for, it is a thing to be achieved – William Jennings Bryan_

  
“Hello?” yelled Sam into the darkness.

When he had gotten back to the top of the tunnel neither Dean nor Buffy was there. Yelling ‘hello?’ into the darkness probably wasn’t the best idea but he had waited and they hadn’t returned. If they had gotten into some sort of trouble, they may need his help. He didn’t know which tunnel to choose, so he chose the tunnel Buffy went down. 

“Hello?”

“Sam!” he heard Dean call out. 

Sam pointed his torch down the tunnel and saw another light bounce up and down as Dean and Buffy come running down the tunnel toward him. They both looked flustered. 

“What’s wrong?” Sam called out as they ran toward him. Dean stopped just short of Sam and Buffy pulled up beside him. 

“Nothing,” Dean replied. “You called out, so we thought something was wrong with you.”

“Well, I waited at the entrance but you two didn’t show. Did you find anything?” 

Dean and Buffy both paused, neither looking at the other before Buffy quietly said, “No.” 

Sam’s brow furrowed but he didn’t have time to question them further. “Well, I have.”

He led them the short distance back down the main tunnel and into the one he had come from. When he got to the spot, he just pointed his torch while Dean leaned in to examine what he was pointing at. 

“These are used to control spirits,” Sam explained to Buffy, “Though there are a couple of things there that I don’t recognise.” Sam pointed the torch at them and Buffy took a picture with her mobile.

The drive back was uncomfortably quiet. Dean focused on the road ahead, while Buffy just looked out of the window. Sam shuffled in his seat uneasily. He glanced at both of them but neither looked back. When they arrived at the house, Buffy mumbled something about calling Giles and almost ran from the car. Dean chose to get out slowly. As he put his hand on the door handle, Sam stopped him. 

“Hey, what’s going on?”

Dean paused and looked over at Sam. “What do you mean?” 

“I’m talking about the freezer that developed in here on the way back.” Sam pointed out. “What did you do?”

“What makes you think I did anything?” Dean said angrily.

“Look, stop arguing with her. She seems like a nice person. She might even be able to save you Dean.”

“I didn’t argue with her,” Dean yelled back. 

Sam’s mind furiously raced trying to put together the pieces. Suddenly his eyes widened in realisation. 

“You didn’t!” he exclaimed. Dean rolled his eyes and got out of the car. Sam quickly got out and ran around the front of the car. “You made a move on her?!”

“It wasn’t like that!” Dean said forcefully. “Leave it be, Sam.” 

Dean strode off around the side of the house to the backyard as Sam shook his head and walked through the front door. Buffy was sitting in the lounge room with her laptop open on the coffee table. Her phone was open beside it and a voice was filtering through.

“Just send me the photo and I can tell you what you are looking at here,” said a female voice.

“Thanks Will,” Buffy replied. “Have you got it now?” There was a pause. 

“Yep, I have it!” Willow announced. Her voice turned grave. “I’ll have to get back to you, Buffy. I’m not sure about what I am seeing so I am going to ask Deborah.”

“That doesn’t sound good Will,” Buffy said, pressing her friend for information. 

“Well if it is what I think it is, it’s not,” Willow said solemnly. “Give me time and I’ll get back to you. Bye.” 

There was a small click and Buffy closed her phone and shut down the computer. She looked up at Sam and smiled. 

“Are you okay?” Sam asked. 

“Of course, why?” 

“Well, you were a little quiet on the way home. I thought something might be wrong.” 

Buffy stood up and walked into the kitchen. “No, everything is fine. Where’s Dean?” she casually asked, pouring herself a glass of orange juice. 

Sam noticed her casual air as she asked the question. A little too casual, he thought.

“He’s outside,” he said, pointing out of the kitchen window. She gave a quick glance outside. 

“Willow will get back to me soon. What do you want to do for dinner?” she asked. “Is pizza alright?” 

At that moment, Dean opened the back door. Hoping to slip in unnoticed, he was stopped dead in his tracks at the sight of a full kitchen. He gave a furtive glance in Buffy’s direction and closed the door. 

“Any news?” he asked Sam. Sam gave a half smile. 

“We’re waiting. And while we’re waiting, we’ll have dinner.” 

Buffy was starting to feel nervous. “You know, guys, you don’t have to stay. I’m sure I can handle whatever is here, so you can move onto something else, if you want.” she babbled. 

She looked over at Dean and noticed he seemed relieved. She felt the pit of her stomach drop, though she wasn’t sure why. She was surprised by Sam’s response. 

“No, I think we’ll stay.” Dean glared at Sam. He didn’t know what exactly had happened between Dean and Buffy but he wasn’t letting Dean run on this. Sam just smiled and turned to Buffy. “We started this with you and we’ll finish it with you.” 

* * *

After the pizza had arrived and been consumed, Buffy went into her room, changed into her tracksuit, grabbed her mp3 player and announced she was going for a run. She needed to clear her head and there still hadn’t been any news from Willow. Sam had asked her if she needed company, but she had declined. Running was a great release for her. She ran hard until her muscles were screaming for a break. She pushed a little further and then began to slow her pace. She couldn’t figure out what was going on with her and Dean. ‘You’ve only known him a day,’ she scolded herself but she couldn’t really believe it.

Her thoughts turned to the men that had been in her life. She had been in love with Angel and she had loved Spike but with them she had always known, deep down, that no matter how much chemistry or love there was, it would never be, because she would grow old and die and they would stay young forever. When Angel had told her, all those years ago, that she would one day grow to resent him, she hadn’t wanted to believe him. Eventually she had come to see the truth in it and it had caused a tear in her heart, one she wasn’t sure could be repaired. 

When she had been with Riley, she knew she could finally have a future but she hadn’t been sure that it could have been with Riley. So he had left. But with Dean, she could have a future. He knew what she did for a living, knew the dangers, fought them himself…she stopped her train of thought. ‘No,’ she dismissed, ‘you don’t even know him so you can’t be falling in love with him. Anyway, he’ll be dead in a year.’ When she remembered this, her face fell and she felt a deep sense of loss. She cleared her mind, focused on her music and began to run back to the safe house.

* * *

Dean was sitting outside on a bench next to a small pond. If he could have chosen anywhere, this would have been one of the last places. But here he was in the dark and away from Sam. Sam kept looking at him, as though trying to read his thoughts. If he didn’t know what he was thinking, he certainly didn’t want Sam to know first. 

He had been lost in his thoughts for about 10 minutes when she ran in. She didn’t even see him and he stayed really still hoping she wouldn’t. Her tracksuit clung to the sweat on her body as she stretched; warming down from what had obviously a hard run. Even from the shadows, he could see that her cheeks glowed red and she was softly singing, so soft that he hadn’t heard it at first. ‘Maybe I'm wrong, won't you tell me if I'm coming on too strong. This heart of mine has been hurt before, this time I wanna be sure.’ He smiled. 

At that moment she stopped, as if she had sensed something and turned, seeing him. Knowing there was nothing he could do to hide he stood up and walked over to her. She looked like a roo caught in headlights. Slowly, she took her earphones out.

“Foreigner?” he asked, almost as if in disbelief. 

“I like their music,” she stated. Buffy looked up into his hazel eyes and tried to read him but his face gave nothing away.

“I’m sorry,” they both said, at the same time. Buffy laughed nervously. They stood in silence for another minute, which seemed to drag on for an eternity.

“I should go inside,” Buffy said, breaking the silence. As she turned, she felt his hand on her arm. 

“Wait,” he said with a small sigh. 

She slowly turned around. He stared at her for another moment before placing his fingers on her chin and tilting it up. He brought his mouth towards hers, enveloping her in a kiss. It was a soft, slow kiss that seemed to last forever and made her legs feel like jelly. And then, just as suddenly as it had begun, it stopped. She opened her eyes to see him staring into them. He had a small grin on his face. 

“I guess we’re even now, aren’t we?” he asked. She smiled sheepishly. 

“I’d better get inside,” she returned, turning towards the house. 

As her hand reached for the doorknob, she realised she had a huge smile on her face. She didn’t even notice Sam standing in the kitchen as she walked into the house and down to her room.


	6. Chapter 6

* * *

_Seeing death as the end of life is like seeing the horizon as the end of the ocean – David Searls_

  
Buffy awoke to the sound of an annoying bug in her ear. She swatted, but still it was there. Opening her eyes, she vowed death to the culprit but all she saw was the screen on her phone lit up. Across the display was “Will”. Buffy quickly answered the phone.

“Hey Will. Good news?”

“Sorry Buff. Bad news. And I’m sorry for waking you. You have sleepy voice,” she said. 

Buffy sat up. She shivered from the cold and pulled the doona closer around her. “Alright, let me have it. Whose butt do I have to kick now?” Buffy asked.

“I can’t tell you much, I’m afraid. You’ll have to use your detective skills there. But I’ll let you know now: my plane leaves in an hour. I’ll be there as soon as I can so don’t do anything on your own, okay?” Willow urged. 

Buffy stiffened. “What’s wrong Will?”

Willow sighed. “I wasn’t sure so I had to ask around. See the stuff you found in the cave is mostly pretty basic stuff. But there were one or two items there which had me concerned. All this stuff individually doesn’t mean much, but together…” she trailed off.

“What does it do?”

“Well, based on what you told me about the Polgara, I’d say he, or she, summoned the demon. And I don’t mean in the usual way. They didn’t just send out a homing beacon. They sort of brought it forth. Whoever they are, they are very powerful. And they have covered their tracks. We can’t locate them. It is just sort of static; do you know what I mean?”

Buffy took a deep breath. “So what do I do?”

“Well, I can help you track and stuff once I get there. Maybe just a slice and dice job but if they use even half of the power that is required to pull this off, then you could be in trouble.”

“Alright,” Buffy resigned. “So, you’ll be here by this afternoon then?”

“Yep.”

“Okay. I’ll see you then. Bye.” 

Buffy hung up the phone. She tried to sleep again but couldn’t get her brain to shut off now that she knew how great the danger seemed to be. She got out of bed, got dressed quickly and started getting ready to fight.

* * *

When Dean got up, he smelled coffee. He dressed and headed to the kitchen, following his nose. Coffee was brewing on the bench and Buffy was sitting at the table. She had a duffle bag open which had a scythe sticking out and she was picking at a stake.

“Morning,” said Dean, smiling over at her. She didn’t turn around.

“I need you to do me a favour,” she said. She held up a piece of paper with an address on it and a list of items. “Willow called me this morning to tell me what we’re up against. Nothing much really but I will need these things to kill it.” She prayed her voice didn’t betray her. Dean looked at the address.

“This is a six hour drive away,” he questioned. “Can’t you get this stuff nearer here?”

“No,” she said. “Take Sam with you.” 

Dean sat down at the table, taking a deep breath and folding his hands together. “What is going on?” She refused to meet his eyes. “Buffy?”

“I need this stuff, alright. Please just get it for me. It is the only way I can get rid of this thing,” her voice cracked. She paused to regain composure. 

Before she could speak, Dean said, “I’m not going anywhere until you tell me the truth.” She looked up at him and saw the resolve in his eyes. He saw the fear in hers.

“Please, just get Sam and go,” she said.

“No,” was the reply from the man beside her.

“Just get out of here,” she yelled, standing up, her chair falling over behind her. Dean inwardly cringed. 

“No,” Dean yelled back. 

Buffy’s heart started to break and she summoned her strength. She didn’t want to do this but knew she’d have to. “I don’t want you here,” she yelled. “Just take your stuff and leave.” 

She willed it not to, but a single tear ran down her cheek. She turned her back on him but Dean stood up and wrapped his arms around her. She gave a small struggle and then fell into his embrace, tears spilling over her cheeks, her façade ruined.

“Please,” she whispered. “Please.” He only hugged her tighter. 

“Tell me what it going on.”

“I can’t fight this with you,” she said pulling back to look into his face. “I won’t lose you.” 

Dean leaned down to place a kiss on her forehead. “Tell me what she said?”

As Buffy explained the conversation with Willow, Sam crept back down the hall to his room. The raised voices and crashing furniture had brought him out and recognition had grasped him as he had heard Dean fighting with her. His brother was in love with her. Sam slowly let it sink in. After he had seen them kiss last night, he had seen the smile on Dean’s face when he came inside. But seeing that fight, Sam began to realise the depths of those feelings. He couldn’t have been happier for Dean. Or more worried. 

When Sam emerged from his room fifteen minutes later, there was silence. As he walked into the lounge room, he saw Buffy asleep at the kitchen table. Dean was taking weapons from the closet and packing them into a bag.

“What are we dealing with?” Sam asked Dean. Dean stopped and looked up. An understanding passed between them. 

“Someone with a lot of power; enough to control demons, bring them here,” Dean warned. “Listen,” he said, stepping toward Sam, “If this is as bad as they think it is, maybe you should go and get some help. Maybe find Bobby.” Sam held up his hand, shaking his head.

“If she couldn’t get you to go, what makes you think you can get me to?” Dean smiled weakly. 

“You heard that?” 

“Everyone heard Dean. I’m not going anywhere. I’m fighting with you.” 

“Sam, I…” Dean was cut off as a gasp escaped Buffy’s lips and she sat bolt upright, the blood drained from her face. 

“He’s got her!”

* * *

“This is a bad idea,” Dean stated as they got out of the car. The three of them went to the boot and loaded up.

“I know what I saw Dean,” Buffy said, defensively.

“I’m not doubting that,” he replied. “I just said it was a bad idea. Why don’t we wait for Willow?”

“She could be dead by then!” 

Buffy pushed past him and pressed forward, looking around at her surroundings. Recognising landmarks from her dream, Buffy marched confidently through the woods. Her senses were alert and after a short walk, she slowed when she realised that there were no longer sounds to be heard. No birds or insects.

“This can’t be good,” she heard Sam say from somewhere behind her. 

Her skin crawled and she stopped. She heard Sam and Dean pull up right behind her and she strained to hear something, anything, but the silence was overwhelming. To her right, a twig snapped. She heard Dean and Sam turn towards the noise, weapons pointed but she didn’t move. For an unknown reason, she moved forward a few steps, her hand resting on a stake and feeling the comforting feeling of her scythe at her side. Her eyes darted to the left and right, taking in the entire scene before her.

From somewhere behind her, she heard a snarl followed by Sam’s breathless response, “Werewolf.” 

But still she did not turn. She somehow knew that the real danger was in front of her. In her dream she had seen a cabin, run-down and broken. But there was nothing like that in front of her. In front of her was silence. From behind her, she could hear the sounds of gunfire and eventually hand to hand combat, as Dean and Sam fought to take down the werewolf. Before her, a figure stepped out from behind a tree. The man was no older than fifty and seemed an easy target but Buffy stayed still, not knowing the danger, Willow’s concerns running through her head.

“Where is she?” Buffy asked. 

“Who?” 

“The Slayer.”

He stepped forward, palms forward as though offering peace. What he said next made her feel as though ice was running through her veins. “She doesn’t exist.”

“But my dream…” she began, already feeling as though this had all been one big mistake.  
“I created it,” he cut her off. “How else could I get the Slayer here alone?” he asked rhetorically. She saw him cast a glance at the men fighting behind her. “Or relatively. Don’t worry though. They’re occupied.” 

And with that last word, he raised his hand and flicked his wrist. Refusing to turn, she flinched when she heard another loud snarl and Dean yell, “Sam, behind you.” Buffy kept her eyes focused on the man in front of her, who had a smirk on his face, watching them fight. Turning his attention to Buffy, his smiled dropped.

“For years I had been learning all I could, hoping that when I was ready, I could wipe you out, end the Slayer line,” he began.

“But that would bring hell on earth!” she exclaimed.

“And guess who can control it.” A satisfied grin crossed his face. “But you destroyed that hope by making them all Slayers.” His face was contorted with rage. “Now I have to wipe them all out!”

“That’s why you killed all those girls? Louise escaped so you killed them all.”

“No,” he said, shaking his head, “The Polgara did that. Stupid thing. I told it to bring me back her body and it brought back every one but hers. So I sent her a dream of her friends in danger. I knew she would come. Just like you did.”

Buffy could feel her heart in her throat. What had she walked into? What had she brought Dean and Sam into? She drew her scythe. There was only one option. She had to try and take him out herself.

* * *

Dean had run over to help Sam. The werewolf he had been fighting was now dead and he tried not to think about the man’s body now lying on the ground. The smell of wet fur had permeated the air around them and Dean screwed up his nose, trying not to let the smell distract him. He and Sam fought the second werewolf, trying not to kill the man, or woman, it was. 

He glanced over at Buffy. From somewhere, the man whom he didn’t know had gotten a sword and they were now locked in battle, sword and scythe clashing against each other. The sound of clashing metal melded with the snarls and growls coming from in front of him and the previously eerily silent forest had suddenly elicited a cacophony of sound. 

Dean saw Buffy stumble backward from a particularly hard blow. She threw her scythe up to defend against the onslaught of blows that were raining down on her and stood as she pushed him back. But as she did, his sword found its mark and went straight through her stomach. He could have sworn that his heart stopped beating and time slowed dramatically.

“No!” Dean screamed, instantly decapitating the werewolf beside him and running toward her leaving a stunned Sam behind. He saw the man get flung back and Buffy crumpled to the ground, her scythe lying lifelessly on the ground beside her and its red edge leaving an unnatural glow on her face. 

As he reached her, he was only slightly aware of the air crackling around him, of the gust of wind that had suddenly developed. He dropped to his knees and looked down at her. He instinctively put his hand to her stomach to stem the flow of blood that had caused her white shirt to turn red. Buffy coughed, her voice rattling, and a small amount of blood appeared on her lips. 

“Hold on,” he begged, “Just hold on!” 

Sam was quickly beside him. As Dean held onto her, she smiled weakly. She tried to talk but the words seemed to catch in her throat.

“Get back!” he heard from beside him. He looked up to see the woman to whom the voice belonged. She was only small but seemed to command a great presence. Her hair was long and a startling white.

“Get back!” she said, louder this time. 

Reluctantly he let go of Buffy and moved back. The other man was seemingly unconscious and pinned to a tree in front of Dean. She held her hand to Buffy’s wound and closed her eyes. A small white glow appeared beneath her hand. Her eyes opened and she looked up at the two men in front of her, fear unmistakable. She pulled her hand away.


	7. Chapter 7

* * *

_Seeing death as the end of life is like seeing the horizon as the end of the ocean – David Searls_

  
Buffy awoke to the sound of an annoying bug in her ear. She swatted, but still it was there. Opening her eyes, she vowed death to the culprit but all she saw was the screen on her phone lit up. Across the display was “Will”. Buffy quickly answered the phone.

“Hey Will. Good news?”

“Sorry Buff. Bad news. And I’m sorry for waking you. You have sleepy voice,” she said. 

Buffy sat up. She shivered from the cold and pulled the doona closer around her. “Alright, let me have it. Whose butt do I have to kick now?” Buffy asked.

“I can’t tell you much, I’m afraid. You’ll have to use your detective skills there. But I’ll let you know now: my plane leaves in an hour. I’ll be there as soon as I can so don’t do anything on your own, okay?” Willow urged. 

Buffy stiffened. “What’s wrong Will?”

Willow sighed. “I wasn’t sure so I had to ask around. See the stuff you found in the cave is mostly pretty basic stuff. But there were one or two items there which had me concerned. All this stuff individually doesn’t mean much, but together…” she trailed off.

“What does it do?”

“Well, based on what you told me about the Polgara, I’d say he, or she, summoned the demon. And I don’t mean in the usual way. They didn’t just send out a homing beacon. They sort of brought it forth. Whoever they are, they are very powerful. And they have covered their tracks. We can’t locate them. It is just sort of static; do you know what I mean?”

Buffy took a deep breath. “So what do I do?”

“Well, I can help you track and stuff once I get there. Maybe just a slice and dice job but if they use even half of the power that is required to pull this off, then you could be in trouble.”

“Alright,” Buffy resigned. “So, you’ll be here by this afternoon then?”

“Yep.”

“Okay. I’ll see you then. Bye.” 

Buffy hung up the phone. She tried to sleep again but couldn’t get her brain to shut off now that she knew how great the danger seemed to be. She got out of bed, got dressed quickly and started getting ready to fight.

* * *

When Dean got up, he smelled coffee. He dressed and headed to the kitchen, following his nose. Coffee was brewing on the bench and Buffy was sitting at the table. She had a duffle bag open which had a scythe sticking out and she was picking at a stake.

“Morning,” said Dean, smiling over at her. She didn’t turn around.

“I need you to do me a favour,” she said. She held up a piece of paper with an address on it and a list of items. “Willow called me this morning to tell me what we’re up against. Nothing much really but I will need these things to kill it.” She prayed her voice didn’t betray her. Dean looked at the address.

“This is a six hour drive away,” he questioned. “Can’t you get this stuff nearer here?”

“No,” she said. “Take Sam with you.” 

Dean sat down at the table, taking a deep breath and folding his hands together. “What is going on?” She refused to meet his eyes. “Buffy?”

“I need this stuff, alright. Please just get it for me. It is the only way I can get rid of this thing,” her voice cracked. She paused to regain composure. 

Before she could speak, Dean said, “I’m not going anywhere until you tell me the truth.” She looked up at him and saw the resolve in his eyes. He saw the fear in hers.

“Please, just get Sam and go,” she said.

“No,” was the reply from the man beside her.

“Just get out of here,” she yelled, standing up, her chair falling over behind her. Dean inwardly cringed. 

“No,” Dean yelled back. 

Buffy’s heart started to break and she summoned her strength. She didn’t want to do this but knew she’d have to. “I don’t want you here,” she yelled. “Just take your stuff and leave.” 

She willed it not to, but a single tear ran down her cheek. She turned her back on him but Dean stood up and wrapped his arms around her. She gave a small struggle and then fell into his embrace, tears spilling over her cheeks, her façade ruined.

“Please,” she whispered. “Please.” He only hugged her tighter. 

“Tell me what it going on.”

“I can’t fight this with you,” she said pulling back to look into his face. “I won’t lose you.” 

Dean leaned down to place a kiss on her forehead. “Tell me what she said?”

As Buffy explained the conversation with Willow, Sam crept back down the hall to his room. The raised voices and crashing furniture had brought him out and recognition had grasped him as he had heard Dean fighting with her. His brother was in love with her. Sam slowly let it sink in. After he had seen them kiss last night, he had seen the smile on Dean’s face when he came inside. But seeing that fight, Sam began to realise the depths of those feelings. He couldn’t have been happier for Dean. Or more worried. 

When Sam emerged from his room fifteen minutes later, there was silence. As he walked into the lounge room, he saw Buffy asleep at the kitchen table. Dean was taking weapons from the closet and packing them into a bag.

“What are we dealing with?” Sam asked Dean. Dean stopped and looked up. An understanding passed between them. 

“Someone with a lot of power; enough to control demons, bring them here,” Dean warned. “Listen,” he said, stepping toward Sam, “If this is as bad as they think it is, maybe you should go and get some help. Maybe find Bobby.” Sam held up his hand, shaking his head.

“If she couldn’t get you to go, what makes you think you can get me to?” Dean smiled weakly. 

“You heard that?” 

“Everyone heard Dean. I’m not going anywhere. I’m fighting with you.” 

“Sam, I…” Dean was cut off as a gasp escaped Buffy’s lips and she sat bolt upright, the blood drained from her face. 

“He’s got her!”

* * *

“This is a bad idea,” Dean stated as they got out of the car. The three of them went to the boot and loaded up.

“I know what I saw Dean,” Buffy said, defensively.

“I’m not doubting that,” he replied. “I just said it was a bad idea. Why don’t we wait for Willow?”

“She could be dead by then!” 

Buffy pushed past him and pressed forward, looking around at her surroundings. Recognising landmarks from her dream, Buffy marched confidently through the woods. Her senses were alert and after a short walk, she slowed when she realised that there were no longer sounds to be heard. No birds or insects.

“This can’t be good,” she heard Sam say from somewhere behind her. 

Her skin crawled and she stopped. She heard Sam and Dean pull up right behind her and she strained to hear something, anything, but the silence was overwhelming. To her right, a twig snapped. She heard Dean and Sam turn towards the noise, weapons pointed but she didn’t move. For an unknown reason, she moved forward a few steps, her hand resting on a stake and feeling the comforting feeling of her scythe at her side. Her eyes darted to the left and right, taking in the entire scene before her.

From somewhere behind her, she heard a snarl followed by Sam’s breathless response, “Werewolf.” 

But still she did not turn. She somehow knew that the real danger was in front of her. In her dream she had seen a cabin, run-down and broken. But there was nothing like that in front of her. In front of her was silence. From behind her, she could hear the sounds of gunfire and eventually hand to hand combat, as Dean and Sam fought to take down the werewolf. Before her, a figure stepped out from behind a tree. The man was no older than fifty and seemed an easy target but Buffy stayed still, not knowing the danger, Willow’s concerns running through her head.

“Where is she?” Buffy asked. 

“Who?” 

“The Slayer.”

He stepped forward, palms forward as though offering peace. What he said next made her feel as though ice was running through her veins. “She doesn’t exist.”

“But my dream…” she began, already feeling as though this had all been one big mistake.  
“I created it,” he cut her off. “How else could I get the Slayer here alone?” he asked rhetorically. She saw him cast a glance at the men fighting behind her. “Or relatively. Don’t worry though. They’re occupied.” 

And with that last word, he raised his hand and flicked his wrist. Refusing to turn, she flinched when she heard another loud snarl and Dean yell, “Sam, behind you.” Buffy kept her eyes focused on the man in front of her, who had a smirk on his face, watching them fight. Turning his attention to Buffy, his smiled dropped.

“For years I had been learning all I could, hoping that when I was ready, I could wipe you out, end the Slayer line,” he began.

“But that would bring hell on earth!” she exclaimed.

“And guess who can control it.” A satisfied grin crossed his face. “But you destroyed that hope by making them all Slayers.” His face was contorted with rage. “Now I have to wipe them all out!”

“That’s why you killed all those girls? Louise escaped so you killed them all.”

“No,” he said, shaking his head, “The Polgara did that. Stupid thing. I told it to bring me back her body and it brought back every one but hers. So I sent her a dream of her friends in danger. I knew she would come. Just like you did.”

Buffy could feel her heart in her throat. What had she walked into? What had she brought Dean and Sam into? She drew her scythe. There was only one option. She had to try and take him out herself.

* * *

Dean had run over to help Sam. The werewolf he had been fighting was now dead and he tried not to think about the man’s body now lying on the ground. The smell of wet fur had permeated the air around them and Dean screwed up his nose, trying not to let the smell distract him. He and Sam fought the second werewolf, trying not to kill the man, or woman, it was. 

He glanced over at Buffy. From somewhere, the man whom he didn’t know had gotten a sword and they were now locked in battle, sword and scythe clashing against each other. The sound of clashing metal melded with the snarls and growls coming from in front of him and the previously eerily silent forest had suddenly elicited a cacophony of sound. 

Dean saw Buffy stumble backward from a particularly hard blow. She threw her scythe up to defend against the onslaught of blows that were raining down on her and stood as she pushed him back. But as she did, his sword found its mark and went straight through her stomach. He could have sworn that his heart stopped beating and time slowed dramatically.

“No!” Dean screamed, instantly decapitating the werewolf beside him and running toward her leaving a stunned Sam behind. He saw the man get flung back and Buffy crumpled to the ground, her scythe lying lifelessly on the ground beside her and its red edge leaving an unnatural glow on her face. 

As he reached her, he was only slightly aware of the air crackling around him, of the gust of wind that had suddenly developed. He dropped to his knees and looked down at her. He instinctively put his hand to her stomach to stem the flow of blood that had caused her white shirt to turn red. Buffy coughed, her voice rattling, and a small amount of blood appeared on her lips. 

“Hold on,” he begged, “Just hold on!” 

Sam was quickly beside him. As Dean held onto her, she smiled weakly. She tried to talk but the words seemed to catch in her throat.

“Get back!” he heard from beside him. He looked up to see the woman to whom the voice belonged. She was only small but seemed to command a great presence. Her hair was long and a startling white.

“Get back!” she said, louder this time. 

Reluctantly he let go of Buffy and moved back. The other man was seemingly unconscious and pinned to a tree in front of Dean. She held her hand to Buffy’s wound and closed her eyes. A small white glow appeared beneath her hand. Her eyes opened and she looked up at the two men in front of her, fear unmistakable. She pulled her hand away.


	8. Chapter 8

* * *

_It's the heart afraid of breaking that never learns to dance. It is the dream afraid of waking that never takes the chance. It is the one who won't be taken who cannot seem to give. And the soul afraid of dying that never learns to live – Bette Midler_

  
“What will happen to him?” Sam asked Willow as he sat next to her on the lounge. Her hair had turned a vibrant shade of red and she looked exhausted. Laying her head back, she sighed.

“I’m not sure. The coven has him now. They will decide.”

“That’s some power you have!”

She closed her eyes and her voice came out small and soft. “Not enough.” Sam offered her a small smile. “So, do you think you two will leave now?” she asked, turning to face him. Sam shrugged. 

“I was going to go ask him but I think he needs time alone,” Sam said, as he let out a sigh. Memories of Jessica were floating through his head. He shuddered as he remembered her pinned to the ceiling. Willow placed a comforting hand on his arm.

“Do you want some sleep?” Willow asked. Sam shook his head and opened his mouth but Willow spoke first. “I can give you a good night’s sleep. No dreams or nightmares.” Sam shook his head again.

“I need to be here for Dean when he comes out. He may want to go straight away, I’m not sure.” Willow nodded slowly.

* * *

In the room that he had slept in the night before, Dean looked at the Slayer on the bed. A single tear slipped down his cheek before he angrily wiped it away. The gouge in his shoulder was a constant reminder that he was still here and Dean replayed the whole scene in his head, thinking if he had been faster…hell, if they had not gone at all and just waited for Willow, maybe she wouldn’t be lying there now. He stood up and started pacing the room, not venturing far from Buffy. 

He was thinking the whole thing through in his head. Buffy’s death would not be that big a deal, would it? There were other slayers now. Even if there weren’t, another slayer would have been called, that’s how it went. But Buffy’s death in his life? That would be a big deal. He had thought it would be easier to have someone in his life that was used to dealing with the supernatural, someone that was strong like Buffy. But maybe it would be easier if she hadn’t known. She might not be able to fight back but she wouldn’t be throwing herself into the battles either.

Dean let out an angry sigh. He didn’t know what he wanted to do. A small moan came from the bed and Dean moved over and stood at the foot of the bed as he called out. 

“Willow!” 

Willow and Sam got up quickly from the lounge they were sitting on and raced down the hall into the bedroom. Willow went over to the side and looked down at Buffy. She moved a strand of hair from Buffy’s forehead. 

“Buffy? Can you hear me?” Willow sighed in relief as Buffy slowly nodded her head up and down, though her eyes and lips remained shut. Sam moved silently into the room to stand behind Dean. He watched as Dean’s brow furrowed and his muscles tensed. Sam had thought he’d also saw a hit of moisture in Dean’s eyes but Dean didn’t take his eyes off of Buffy. Sam wasn’t even sure if Dean knew that he was behind him.

“Can you move all fingers and toes and all that stuff? I’m not even sure what I should ask.” 

Buffy nodded again and her eyelids moved as she struggled to open them. Willow smiled as the familiar green eyes looked up at her. Willow had known Buffy for long enough and immediately answered the unasked question.

“Everyone is alright.” Buffy seemed to relax and Willow continued. “The coven has him now. I’m not sure what they’re gonna do - Deborah didn’t look happy.” Buffy gave a small smile.

“Water,” Buffy whispered. Willow took the water bottle off the night stand and poured a little water into her mouth. Buffy gave a small cough.

“You got stabbed. Again. You know, you really should try not getting injured. I hear its fun.” Willow smiled at Buffy. 

Buffy took a moment to try to clear the fog in her mind. She was injured? As she moved her muscles she felt the stabbing pain in her stomach. It was then that Buffy connected the intense pain with the word ‘stabbed’. Her eyes widened and she turned her head to the side. Willow seemed to comprehend her query and quickly responded.

“You’re not in a hospital, don’t worry Buff. We brought you back to the safe house. I’ve done all I can, the rest is up to you.” 

Willow looked down at her hands with a grim expression. Buffy knew that Willow would have done everything she could have done. She also knew that Willow would be upset that she hadn’t healed her. Buffy reached over and laid her hand on her best friend’s. Willow looked up and saw a small smile on Buffy’s lips.

“Thankyou,” Buffy said, her voice full of gratitude. Willow returned with a small smile. 

“If you need anything, just let us know.”

They both looked around and saw Sam standing at the foot of the bed smiling awkwardly. His eyes flitted toward the open bedroom door and then back. Willow turned back to Buffy and saw the small, hurt frown. When she’d gotten here and seen Dean with Buffy, she’d known that he’d fallen for the Slayer. But he wasn’t the only man to have done so and she doubted he’d be the last. But seeing the look on Buffy’s face, she knew the feeling was mutual. The frown was something she saw all the time when Buffy was dating Angel. The look was trouble because it meant her heart was getting involved.

“Sam is going to fill you in on everything in more detail. I’ll go get you something to eat,” Willow said smiling at Buffy reassuringly. Sam moved over to the opposite side of the bed as Willow stood up and walked out of the bedroom. 

As she walked into the kitchen, she scanned the rooms for Dean. She thought they were going to leave and originally she’d thought it a good idea – the handsome Hunter could not be assured of the Slayer’s affections – but now Willow had seen how invested Buffy was becoming, even if she didn’t know it, and had to stop him from potentially making the biggest mistake of his life. She found some yoghurt in the fridge and as she was getting a spoon out of the kitchen drawer, she spotted Dean sitting on a bench next to the pond in the backyard. She walked purposefully out the back door and over to where he was sitting. He was so lost in thought that he didn’t even hear her approaching until she was standing right in front of him, startling him of his reverie.

“What are you doing out here?” Dean sighed in response and looked down at his hands. “She knows you’re not in there. She’s hurt that you’re not in there.” 

Dean closed his eyes and took a deep breath. “I just needed to know she was alright. I’ve seen that.” He looked up at Willow. “I think Sam and I should be leaving now anyway, the job is done. I’ve no doubt Sam’s already found something else...” He looked around the garden trying not to look at her. He tried to walk past her but Willow stepped in front of his path.

“She was just a job then?” 

“Of course not,” Dean said quickly. Surprise covered his face and he closed his eyes and took a deep breath. When he opened them she was still standing in front of him, though now her arms were crossed. “We came to kill what’d been attacking campers. The threat is gone. We move on to the next thing. It’s our job.”

“What about Buffy?” Willow asked, not letting him detour from the real subject. She feared where this was leading.

“I’m sure she’ll be fine now. She has that slayer strength. When she’s healed, and probably before that, she’ll move on too.” Dean didn’t want to talk about this. It was too painful to talk about, to think about. He just needed some time while he worked things out.

“Move on from you?” Willow wondered where Xander was - Buffy may need them both now. Dawn? She wasn’t sure. She’d last heard Africa. Willow turned her attention back to Dean as he let out an angry sigh.

“What the hell do you want from me, huh?” he yelled. Willow narrowed her eyes.

“I want you to stay.”

“I can’t,” Dean said, his voice lowering dramatically. He looked at the lawn. “I just can’t.” 

Willow couldn’t believe this was happening. It was like a soap opera and she for one was sick of it. Dean seemed to be in love with her best friend and Buffy was in love with him. Why complicate something so simple?

“You can’t do this! She doesn’t deserve it, she never has! You can’t just leave because you’re afraid of being hurt. By doing this, she’s the one that gets hurt. She’s the one who gets left behind.” 

Dean looked up. “You don’t know anything about me or my life. I won’t put another target on her back. She’ll find someone better. So leave me the hell alone!” he yelled at her, stepping around her and storming toward the house.

* * *

Sam had told Buffy exactly what had happened. He wanted her to know how much his brother loved her even if he didn’t use those words exactly. It really was something Dean should tell her himself. Sam left to find out what was taking Willow, however he suspected she had found Dean. As he walked into the kitchen he heard Willow say, “She was just a job then?” Sam cringed. He stepped into the backyard and stopped by the back door so as not to interrupt the dispute that was going on, closing the door softly behind him.

“Of course not.” Dean said quickly. 

Sam was stunned at his proclamation. Even Dean looked surprised. As Sam listened to their arguments, he was at first angry with Dean. Why would he leave? He obviously loved Buffy and she loved him. Why should it be difficult? But as he heard Dean’s side, he looked at the defeated man standing in front of the woman who although shorter, seemed so much taller. 

It was then he realised why. Dean didn’t want what happened to Jessica and their mother to happen to Buffy. She already was the objective of so many enemies and they’d just closed the Devil’s Gates. There were many demons after them now for revenge and if they found out about her, they’d target her first to cause Dean pain. Of course, Dean was also running from potential anguish; Willow was right as well, but Sam was siding with his brother. Dean stormed toward him, genuinely surprised to see him standing there.

“I’ll get our bags. You collect the weapons from the table,” Sam said. 

Dean looked gratefully at Sam and Sam turned around to collect the bags as Dean walked in right behind him.

* * *

Willow could not believe Dean. Damn! Angel had caused a hole in Buffy’s heart which would only reopen after this. It may even make it bigger. Why did he have to be so stubborn? She heard Sam talking to Dean and seethed. He was helping him? Willow walked back to Buffy’s room. As she reached the door, Sam came out carrying two duffel bags. He closed the door behind him when he saw Willow and it gave her no satisfaction that he looked sorry.

“You don’t understand what’s going on here. I agree with Dean. It may not be the best thing to do but it is the right thing,” he said, his voice a loud whisper.

“How can you defend this? I thought you were better than that!” she spat. Sam sighed.

“I’m sorry” was all he offered in reply and he walked past her down the hall.

When Willow walked into Buffy’s room, she saw her sitting in bed and there were tears in her eyes. Willow offered a small smile and the glistening droplets fell. Willow just placed the yoghurt on the bedside table and held her friend as she cried. As the sobs subsided, Buffy fell into an uneasy sleep, filled with dreams of what could have been. Willow kept vigil over her best friend all night.

* * *

Sam dumped the bags on top of the weapons Dean was putting in the trunk. Dean closed the trunk and Sam remained silent as the safe house faded into the distance. Dean didn’t take particular notice of where they were going he just wanted to get away as soon as possible, hoping the ache in his heart would grow smaller with distance. Sam watched his brother out of the corner of his eye, and saw the internal struggle and pain flash across Dean’s face. Dean could feel Sam watching him and eventually could stand it no longer.

“Sam, stop it.” He turned to look at Sam and a tear finally fell. “Please,” he pleaded. 

Sam nodded and opened the laptop on his lap. After a few minutes, he turned back to Dean.

“A man opened his front door one evening to see his wife standing on the porch, shivering in the cold night air.” Dean glanced at Sam and raised an eyebrow.

“She had died three weeks earlier.”

“How far away?” Dean asked as he turned his attention back to the road.

“About 6 hours.” Sam replied, looking earnestly at the open pages on his laptop. Dean revved the engine and the Impala continued onward.


End file.
